The 16 All-Time Best Backyard Party Ideas

What you never see on Pinterest: the tired and possibly broke woman who threw that elaborate soiree for 50. Do it the laid-back REDBOOK way and you won't even break a sweat (until you start dancing, that is).

Decorate above the table

Decorate above the table

To create the easiest bunting in the world, simply fold bandannas in half diagonally, connect them by knotting the corners together, and hang. Have fun mixing and matching colors and prints; there are tons of styles available online for about $1 a pop—we found cute ones at orientaltrading.com. (After the party's over, give them to the kids for their cowboy and stagecoach-robber costumes.)

Get crafty with your table

Get crafty with your table

Take a roll of brown kraft paper and run it the length of your table: Not only does it have a rustic-chic appeal, it's also cheap and can go straight into the recycling bin when you're done. If you've got time (or want to keep the kids out of your hair with a craft project), "paint on it," suggests style expert Robert Verdi. "Do something simple like polka dots or go all out and trace the place settings. You can even write out guests' names or initials in lieu of place cards. But don't worry about being perfect—it's supposed to look handmade."

Steal from the garden. Huge floral arrangements can look luxe, but you'll get the same bang for zero bucks by using greens clipped from your backyard. "I hosted a small dinner party and didn't have a lot of time or money to spend," says Becca Gorski, an event planner and the blogger behind Cake Events & Design. "So I cut a few branches from each of the different trees in our yard and laid them down the middle of my table as a centerpiece."